The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

"Thank you all for waiting!"

"The triennial Grand Tournament—our clearing out of native inhabitants—is about to begin!"

West Blue.

God Valley.

Towering peaks reared skyward, forming a colossal gorge. Within that vast canyon, over two hundred Celestial Dragons—resplendently dressed—had assembled.

"The battlefield chosen this time is these non-affiliated lands—God Valley. The nerve of this wretched little island, calling itself 'God Valley.' We've already confirmed it's rich in resources! We'll conduct our customary 'human hunt' here, while also proclaiming that from this day forward, this island belongs to the 'World Government!'"

From atop a raised platform, a Celestial Dragon host—the event's emcee—announced loudly.

Behind him were six ornate chests, lined up in an orderly row.

"Ooh—ooh—!"

As the emcee spoke, a throng of Celestial Dragons raised guns and swords, shouting with excitement.

"You're all thieves—planning to kill our citizens in some twisted competition? You're a pack of lunatics—!"

The king of God Valley, consumed by rage, glared at the haughty, bloodthirsty Celestial Dragons:

"This is our homeland—"

"Your Majesty—!"

Just then, a nearby handmaiden cried out,

but before she could fully shout, a tall figure dashed in a flash of lightning speed.

Swish—!

A blazing slash tore through the king's body, sending him crashing into a pool of blood, screaming in agony.

"Your Majesty!!"

Attendants and ministers alike cried out in horror, overcome by shock.

The one who struck the blow was a handsome young Celestial Dragon—tall, with forward-curving hair, not wearing the usual bubble-hood. Wielding a lavishly ornamented rapier (now back in its scabbard), he wore ornate clothing marked with the Celestial Dragons' emblem, draped in a black cape.

With a frigid stare at the fallen monarch, the young man spoke icily:

"Pathetic commoner, you talk too much."

"Oh dear, calm down, Saint Garling…" the emcee exclaimed in surprise.

"You jumped the gun!"

"Wahaha…"

All around, Celestial Dragons broke into laughter, entirely unbothered by the youth's actions. Many young female Celestial Dragons gazed starry-eyed at the dashing Saint Garling, squealing in adoration.

"Killing the native king before we officially begin the contest… tsk, tsk…"

Smiling, the emcee declared a "penalty" for Saint Garling's disregard of the rules:

"I hereby announce our odds-on favorite, Saint Garling, is starting at negative ten thousand points!"

"That suits me just fine," Saint Garling responded calmly, without anger or disappointment—only supreme confidence.

"We've prepared ample stock for contestants with real skill: problem slaves, criminals, plus all the natives here… more than a hundred thousand in total!"

Continuing in a high-pitched voice, the host said:

"Moreover, there are thirteen 'SR rabbits' each worth ten thousand points, and another 150 'R rabbits'… Killing in a single blow grants the best rewards. There's a deluxe prize ready for the winner!"

"Ooh—ooh—!"

"Heh, just you wait…"

Saint Garling smiled smugly.

"I've set my sights on the Logia Glint-Glint Fruit—no one else is getting it!"

He'd heard that each of the six chests contained good powers, but his true desire was that top-tier Logia fruit. Merely the ability to move at the speed of light, combined with his formidable swordsmanship, would be a perfect match.

"I won't let you have it, Garling!" snapped a masked Holy Knight nearby.

"I'll bring glory to the Mamaye family!" added a young woman in a hat, licking her lips while clutching her blade.

Meanwhile—

"Damn it…"

"How can this be allowed?"

"Humans shouldn't treat humans like this!"

"If only this were all some nightmare—hurry and let me wake up!"

"You monsters…"

"Uwaa…"

Countless slaves, criminals, and natives, upon hearing that they were all just "game" to be hunted, broke down in tears—some cursing in rage, others trembling in fear and despair.

"Heh heh…"

"Muahaha…"

Bang bang…

Several sadistic Celestial Dragons, unable to hold back, lifted their weapons and fired at a few slaves and natives.

"Hey now, I need you all to follow the rules—Celestial Nobles of the 200-person hunting party!"

Shouting from atop the platform, the host stopped them and loudly proclaimed:

"The contest will commence in one hour… All right, you 'rabbits'—run for it!"

"Run!"

"Everybody, RUN!!!"

"The hunt's about to start…"

"I don't want to die here!"

"Waaah…"

Suddenly, slaves, criminals, and natives alike scattered in all directions, people racing toward the mountains, fleeing into the forests, or dashing into the nearby towns…

…

"Hunting humans? What a vile hobby…"

High atop a precipitous cliff in God Valley—

In a hidden, greenish space invisible to the naked eye:

A tall figure in a hunter's style combat suit stood with stony composure. Young in age but mature and poised, Dal looked down at the frantic throng of locals and slaves scrambling to escape, then at the strutting Celestial Dragons, sneering:

"They want the thrill of hunting them like animals, but they're too cowardly to remove the chains of any powerful slaves or criminals. A bunch of self-deluding, timid rats!"

"No doubt about it…" said Uthan and Barry, both clad in battle suits, standing by his side.

"In an hour, this place becomes hell, yes?"

"Your Highness, do you plan to save them?" Barry of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit asked directly.

Behind them loomed a green "air door" connecting to the Mirror World, while another small window—opened up front—gave them a clear, hidden vantage of all God Valley.

"Though it's deplorable, our Totto Land Kingdom isn't yet ready for all-out war with the World Government. I'm not that impulsive…" Dar said calmly, shaking his head:

"When the 'hunt' starts, those strong folks will be too preoccupied chasing down 'prey'… That's when we'll steal those chests first! If the Rocks Pirates kick up a big fuss, we can discreetly aid them without jeopardizing the plan, giving as many people as possible a chance to escape."

"We can't possibly evacuate everyone, but leaving a few promising talents to get slaughtered here would be such a waste!"

"So did you spot anyone noteworthy?"

~~~

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